How to Fill Out and Submit the AST Transfer of Ownership Form

The AST Transfer of Ownership Form is now called the Stock Power Form and is administered by Equiniti Trust Company (EQ). You use it to move shares held in a transfer-agent account from one owner to another — for a gift, an estate settlement, a name change, or adding a joint owner. Every transfer requires a paper form with original signatures; EQ does not accept online submissions for ownership changes.¹

Where to Get the Form

Download the Transfer of Ownership Package from the Equiniti website or request one by calling EQ Shareowner Services at 800-468-9716.² The package includes the Stock Power Form, instructions, a Substitute W-9, and a checklist of documents required for each transfer type. Read the checklist for your situation before you start writing.³

Filling Out the Stock Power Form

The form runs in lettered sections. Work through them in order.⁴

Section A: Current Account

Enter the 10-digit account number as it appears on your most recent statement or tax form. Write the company name of the stock being transferred and the current registration — the full legal name and ownership title shown on your statements. Any name mismatch between the form and the account is treated as a separate transfer and triggers additional documentation.³

Section B: Shares Being Transferred

For a full transfer, check “Transfer ALL shares” and leave the rest blank. For a partial transfer, list how many to move from each category: Direct Registration shares, dividend reinvestment plan shares, and certificated shares. If you hold physical certificates, the originals must be mailed in with the form; the request is invalid without them.³ If any certificate is missing, see the lost-certificate section before submitting.

Section C: Cost Basis

This section tells EQ how to record tax basis for the new owner. Check one box:

Private sale. Enter the date of sale and cost per share. EQ reports the transaction to the IRS, and the seller may owe capital gains tax on any profit.
Gift. The recipient generally inherits the donor’s original cost basis (carryover basis), not the fair market value on the date of the gift. If the stock’s fair market value at the time of the gift is lower than the donor’s basis, the recipient uses the lower fair market value when calculating a loss on a future sale.⁵
Inheritance. Enter the date of death and the fair market value per share on that date. Inherited stock receives a stepped-up basis equal to the value at the decedent’s date of death, which often eliminates unrealized gains that built up during the decedent’s lifetime.⁶

A wrong cost basis will not block the transfer, but it creates problems later when the new owner sells and the IRS records do not match the tax return.

Section D: Outstanding Payments

Check this box to have EQ reissue any uncashed dividend checks or other outstanding payments to the new account. Leave it blank and old payments stay linked to the original registration.

Section F: New Account

Choose the registration type for the receiving account: individual, joint tenancy, tenants in common, trust, estate, custodian for a minor, corporation, LLC, or transfer-on-death beneficiary. Provide the new owner’s full legal name, mailing address, and 9-digit Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number. For trusts, include the trust name and the date the trust was established. For custodial accounts, list the custodian’s name and the minor’s name and state of residence.⁴

Section G: Substitute W-9

The new owner signs the Substitute W-9 to certify their taxpayer identification number. If the W-9 is missing or the TIN does not match the new owner’s name, EQ withholds 24% of future dividends and sale proceeds as backup withholding.³ Non-U.S. owners without a Social Security Number submit the appropriate IRS Form W-8 instead.

Medallion Signature Guarantee

Every current owner, or an authorized representative, signs the form in Section E and has that signature guaranteed through a Medallion Stamp Program. A notary seal does not qualify; EQ states that no other form of signature verification is accepted.³ Federal rules under 17 CFR 240.17Ad-15 let transfer agents reject any transfer that lacks a guarantee from a participating institution.⁷

To get one, visit a bank, credit union, or brokerage that participates in STAMP, SEMP, or MSP. Bring government-issued photo ID and proof of ownership such as a recent account statement. Most institutions require you to be an existing customer and will decline the request otherwise.⁸

Small Transfer Waiver

If the total value of the shares is $10,000 or less, you can skip the medallion guarantee by paying EQ a waiver fee: $100 for transfers under $5,000 and $200 for transfers between $5,000 and $10,000.⁹ The waiver is useful when you have no banking relationship that will provide the guarantee.

Supporting Documents by Transfer Type

The Stock Power Form is not always enough on its own. Additional documents depend on who is signing and why:

All transfers: a completed Substitute W-9 (or W-8) and original stock certificates if shares are held in certificate form.
Deceased owner: the legal representative signs the form and states their capacity (executor, administrator) next to the signature. Include letters testamentary or letters of administration, plus an Inheritance Tax Waiver if the state requires one.
Trustee transfers: documentation proving the trustee’s authority to act. Successor or co-trustees need additional verification.¹⁰
Representative for an incapacitated owner: note the capacity next to the signature and include the supporting court documentation.³

Inheritance Tax Waiver States

If the deceased owner resided in Alabama, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, or Puerto Rico, include an Inheritance Tax Waiver. EQ will not process the transfer without it.³

Lost Stock Certificates

If you cannot find the original certificates, you must replace them before EQ will process the transfer. Mark the number of lost shares (or write “ALL”) in box 8 of Section B. EQ charges a $75 processing fee for lost certificate replacement.⁹

You will also typically need to buy an indemnity bond, which protects the corporation and transfer agent if the missing certificate surfaces later in someone else’s hands. The bond usually costs between 2% and 3% of the current market value of the missing shares.¹¹ For a $50,000 holding, that means a premium in the range of $1,000 to $1,500.

Where to Send the Package

Mail the completed Stock Power Form, Substitute W-9, original certificates (if any), and all supporting documents to EQ’s processing center.

Standard mail:
EQ Shareowner Services
PO Box 64874
St. Paul, MN 55164-0874¹²

Overnight delivery:
EQ Shareowner Services
1110 Centre Pointe Curve, Suite 101
Mendota Heights, MN 55120-4100¹²

When mailing original certificates, use registered or certified mail with return receipt, or a trackable overnight service. USPS insurance covers up to $5,000 in declared value; Priority Mail Express and Priority Mail include only $100 of coverage in the base price.¹³ For high-value certificates, a private carrier with higher coverage limits may be a better fit.

Timeline and Rejections

Once EQ receives a complete package with no deficiencies, transfers are typically processed within five business days.⁹ The new owner receives a statement of ownership by mail or electronic delivery showing the updated share balance and a new account number.

Most rejections trace to a short list of avoidable errors:

Missing or invalid medallion guarantee. A notary stamp, expired guarantee, or guarantee from a non-participating institution all fail.
Name mismatch. The form must match the account registration exactly, down to middle initials and maiden versus married names.
Missing original certificates when the account holds certificated shares.
Unsigned or missing W-9, which triggers 24% backup withholding.
Missing supporting documents: estate transfers without letters testamentary, trust transfers without trustee authority documentation, or transfers from waiver states without the tax waiver.³

If EQ rejects your package, they send a letter explaining what is missing. Fix the problem and resubmit; you will not need to start over, but you may need a fresh medallion guarantee if the original has aged out. For questions along the way, call EQ Shareowner Services at 800-468-9716.²

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Equiniti. Shareholder Services
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Equiniti. Contact Us
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Equiniti. EQ Transfer of Ownership Package
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Equiniti. Stock Power Form
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 1015 – Basis of Property Acquired by Gifts and Transfers in Trust
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 1014 – Basis of Property Acquired From a Decedent
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eCFR. 17 CFR 240.17Ad-15 – Signature Guarantees
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Investor.gov. Medallion Signature Guarantees: Preventing the Unauthorized Transfer of Securities
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Equiniti. AST Transfer of Ownership Form
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Equiniti. EQ Transfer of Ownership Package
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Investor.gov. Lost or Stolen Stock Certificates
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Equiniti. Shareowner Online
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United States Postal Service. Insurance and Extra Services